


Let's make this last forever

by Point_of_no_return



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Boys Kissing, Business Partners, Canon Related, Christmas Fluff, Coming Out, Decorating the christmas tree, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gay Pride, Living Together, M/M, Marriage, Memories, Ornaments, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Through the Years, patrick pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21800200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Point_of_no_return/pseuds/Point_of_no_return
Summary: Patrick is decorating the Christmas tree throughout the years of his life with special trinkets he has collected in his relationship with Rachel and then with David Rose. There is a lot of reflection going through all of the different ornaments and this is a nostalgic story of finding love, staying in love, getting married, and starting a family. These young men have had an incredible journey of finding themselves and then each other.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer & Rachel, Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 45
Kudos: 74
Collections: Schitt's Creek Open Fic Night 2.0





	1. The storybooks were wrong

**Author's Note:**

> This was a challenge, but I’m thankful that this assignment pulled me out of my comfort zone. It not only gave me a bigger appreciation for Patrick’s journey to find himself and discover his sexuality, but I have a deeper appreciation from the research and questions I’d asked in preparation for this. I love your writing and so I hope this arrives to you as a love letter.
> 
> Thank you to my beta [dawns_early_light](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawns_early_light/pseuds/dawns_early_light) who was my rock during all of this!!
> 
> Thank you to my friend [paleredheadinascifi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleredheadinascifi/pseuds/paleredheadinascifi) who also helped.  
> Also, I want to thank anyone I didn't mention who encouraged me. It was a lot of fun going through the defining times of their lives.
> 
> Title comes from Michael Buble's "Cold December Night."

Dozens of presents had been scattered around the tree, wrapped up neatly in a festive, sparkly gift wrap. Above them, the seemingly happy couple adorned the tree's branches with various treasures from their shared past – milestones, celebrations, vacations – all pieces of the last fifteen years of their relationship. 

Certain ornaments had been picked up during their road trips, like the one they took down Highway 1 in California. They'd picked up a plastic shrimp on a string at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant and the bulky replica of the famous crooked Lombard Street where various Christmas trees looked like they were falling down around the road. 

“Babe!” Rachel called from around the corner where she was carefully cradling yet another big box of ornamental mementos in her arms. Their apartment wasn't tiny, but it was on the smaller-side, and it was definitely too small for the amount of festive decor they'd collected over the years.  
  
It had gotten to the point where the pair were forced to skillfully navigate around the Christmas-themed boxes and light strings that happily formed a fire hazard in their living area. “You’ll never guess what I found today at the local World Market!”

Patrick wasn't staring at the souvenirs hanging on their carefully decorated tree with any kind of regret, but it just didn't feel right. As he stood in the glow of the lights wrapped around the branches, it hit him that this felt more like a routine he had gotten used to with an old friend, a roommate, not the love of his life. They had been real hot and heavy in the beginning, setting the tone of their relationship to match, but early on Patrick knew something was off.

“Babe? You listening? I found a great one to add to our collection! Look!”

Patrick took the box in his hands and wrapped his arms around Rachel, her excitement was palpable and he loved her too much to not reach out to touch her. If there was one thing he was always sure of, you hug the people you love in your life. 

“Oh, and what do we have here, Rach?” Patrick opened the box and took the small trinket out, though it wasn’t that small, it was actually kind of heavy, and felt fragile in his hands. Rachel beamed brightly at Patrick who could do nothing but stare blankly at the ornament he was holding.

 _'Our First Engaged Christmas!'_ was written on the top of the ornament which looked like a fireplace and mantel with two red sparkling stockings hanging from it. Rachel had carefully written the date above the mantel in the blank area and their names on each of the stockings with permanent marker. It was adorable and Patrick leaned into Rachel to kiss her forehead. 

“It’s beautiful, Rachel. Where should we put it?” Without much hesitation, Rachel used her left hand with the dazzling diamond affixed to her ring finger to point up into the tree, weaving the slender fingers of her other hand into Patrick’s calloused ones. 

Patrick had proposed to Rachel using his grandmother’s engagement ring he had reset, polished, and made to look stunning when he popped the question. It all took place on an autumn afternoon, their lives changing forever as the color of the leaves had changed around them. Patrick had booked a private helicopter ride for the two of them, bearing his heart and soul to Rachel as they flew above the majestic beauty of Niagara Falls.  
  
“If you look, Patty, there’s room along the mantel.” Rachel leaned into Patrick again, unclasping her hand to press it against his shoulder, lifting up on her tip-toes into Patrick’s side to give him a quick kiss to his cheek.

It took Patrick a second to take in her words and get his bearings. “Uh, uhm, what? Room for what?” Patrick carefully hung the ornament on the tree, watching as Rachel pointed to the stockings over the fireplace on the ornament.  
  
“Here, Patrick, look,” she glided her recently manicured nails along the porcelain ornament. “There’s enough room to add more stockings!” Patrick blinked a few times, trying to register what she was saying. 

“Oh! Oh like for the puppy you want to get? Oh, Rach, you know that we can’t afford that Blue Heeler you saw at the adoption center. Not yet, at least.” Rachel laughed at her naïve fiancé and shook her head.  
  
“No silly, I mean, yes, I want a dog, but I was meaning more like our own puppies.” Patrick sputtered a little and looked at Rachel, excitement and hope brimming in her eyes. She was getting everything she wanted, the husband, the some-point-in-the-future-but-not-right-now dog, and now she wants...she wants.

“Rachel... I mean wow, you know we haven’t really talked about that. For us...um...anytime soon. Our...our own...” The room was spinning and his heart was racing. Patrick only hoped his fiancee couldn’t see the look of panic he could feel was screaming across his face. He needed to change the subject, he couldn't breathe, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

She was still looking at him with an open expression of pure love, playing with the buttons on his pale blue button-down.  
  
“I know,” she finished for him, “I just thought maybe this could be the year, you know? I mean, I don’t know, what are we waiting for, really?” It wasn’t much, but the hesitation in Patrick’s demeanor was enough to tone down her excitement. Before Patrick could utter another word, she was back in the kitchen fixing the both of them some spiced egg-nog. She knew him well enough to know he needed some time to get himself together. 

The room had stopped spinning, but the mere mention of them having their ‘own puppies’ in the near-future was all too much for a quiet evening at home. Rachel was right though, for two people who had been together for fifteen years and were _engaged_ , what were they waiting for? But instead of being able to process that fully in his mind, Patrick allowed himself to hang a few more ornaments on the tree before returning their living room into a somewhat normal-looking space.  
  
He tried to act as casual as possible so as to not ruin the beautiful night Rachel had planned. He might not know a lot of things, but he was pretty sure this was not how Rachel had envisaged the gifting of this special ornament to go. 

The clenching in Patrick’s chest became too much, forcing him to go searching for the antacids he’d recently been stashing away in their medicine cabinet for moments like this. Desperately needing to get the thought of any type of any puppies belonging to anyone out of his brain, he grabbed the beer he had been drinking and traveled to the bathroom.  
  
Toeing off his shoes, he sat down on the edge of the bath and let out a heavy sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in. “Get a grip on yourself, Brewer,” he muttered, before taking a long, long shower to try to relax his muscles and drain away some of the tension from the day.

He didn’t know it at the time, but he was only 3 weeks from calling off the engagement completely.

  
  



	2. Everything you’re supposed to Feel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta [dawns_early_light](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawns_early_light/pseuds/dawns_early_light) who was my rock during all of this. 🍉🍭

******  
****1 year later  
  
**

So much had changed since Rachel was no longer a key player in the game plan of Patrick’s life. Sure, there had been well over a decade of fond memories he’d made with her, but Patrick had found himself thinking so many times, _there must be more to life than this.  
  
_ If this was it, what were people writing love songs about? Where do the storybook fairy-tale romances come from? The ones where you meet your true love and there’s an instantaneous heat between you?  
  
He found himself wondering if it was all just a myth to sell books and songs. Just some whimsical idea you see in movies but that doesn’t actually exist. He had been pretty sure that’s what was going on here, the world was being bamboozled by the corporate industry into believing in something that wasn’t real. 

So, before arriving in Schitt’s Creek, Patrick had completely given up on the idea of falling madly in love or meeting one of the magical unicorns he’d kept hearing about all his life. A romantic no more, Patrick Brewer was a skeptic of love and magical unicorns. That was until one walked into Ray’s office.

David had just left and Patrick couldn’t control the beating in his chest or the feeling of being actually weak in the knees. It was a multitude of feelings Patrick had never felt before and he almost thought himself ill.  
  
There was something about those dark piercing eyes as they’d zeroed in on Patrick’s own. There was something there when Patrick’s fingers had brushed along David’s as he’d taken the numbered piece of paper Ray had unnecessarily given David who had then, by proxy, handed it over to Patrick.

Patrick couldn’t contain how much he enjoyed seeing David get flustered over discussing incorporation paperwork, but every jab at David felt like a release of the trapped butterflies within his stomach. It didn’t seem fair that David was somehow holding the net right in front of him and bringing them right back to flitter behind his bellybutton. 

It was after that initial meeting that Patrick realized what infatuation coupled with lust felt like and for a moment it felt like dying. It had been the perfect contrast to the way he felt with Rachel. Oh his beautiful Rachel, although her voice sounded angelic, it had felt like a noose tightening around his neck each time she mentioned their future.

But meeting David; that was a whirlwind of heart attacks, dizziness, dry mouth, muscle weakness, jittery hands, and jolts of insatiable energy to his crotch. It was that kind of dying, and Patrick wanted to experience it everyday, all day, and find every excuse to be close to the well-statured, sweatered unicorn that had just walked out of the office, and straight into his heart. 

Most people had seen it coming before Patrick had; the mutual pining between the two business partners always had the town in a flurry of gossip. David apparently couldn’t see all of the signs of Patrick throwing himself at David, not even when Stevie would essentially draw a diagram of it for the two idiots.  
  
It didn’t matter, in the end, because all would eventually work out just as it was meant to be.  
  
In one lingering hug. In one passionate kiss.

Patrick finally – _finally_ – could see what William Shakespeare could see when he had written about Romeo and Juliet or Petruchio and Katherine. Even the idiotic story of two people who had just met and within days wanted to die together, forever in love, all started to make sense to him.  
  
Love didn’t have to come in perfect ways, but sometimes it arrived in the most unexpected places and in the rarest of people. David was by no means what Patrick had ever considered his ‘type’, but over time, his type morphed into David. No one compared to him.

He found that teasing someone could be a form of foreplay. Kissing or touching in public could be such an erotic sport, and Patrick wanted to kiss David everywhere and show the world this magnificent force of a man was his one true lover. 

Establishing locally branded products under their main Rose Apothecary brand name was a high Patrick and David wanted to ride out and explore with all of the local counties. To be able to say that they built a business from David’s novel idea felt like a dream. It also didn’t hurt that from the beginning of their partnership, Patrick never doubted David’s vision. Not once. It was Patrick’s constant support and encouragement along the way that kept David’s dream alive and thriving. 

The last two years had been the best of Patrick’s life. His partnership with David (in business _and_ love) had been a steady journey with just a few bumps and bruises, but the one constant in their lives was their thriving business. Their Rose Apothecary.

One night, after David had finished pretending to ‘just look’ at Patrick’s version of a Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree (rearranging the ‘incorrect’ placement of his many ornaments), Patrick had noticed an immaculately wrapped black package poking out from underneath it. It looked familiar.  
  
He knew for a fact it hadn’t been there before, but the wrapping paper and ribbon wrapped around it threw him straight into a memory from the Christmas before. Instead of picking up the present, his eyes were drawn to an ornament already hanging on the tree. 

_“Open it, please. This is not one of those gifts you have to wait to open until Christmas.” David said excitedly and clapped his hands._

_It felt wrong to tear the tape off of the carefully and skillfully wrapped package David looked to have spent time getting just right, but he managed to get the box wedged out without damaging too much of the paper.  
  
There inside the box was a Rose Apothecary coaster hanging by a strong butand delicate rope. David spent several weeks choosing all of the right font, color scheme, and finish for the drink coasters. To see it as an ornament was something else._

Patrick was drawn out of the fond memory when two warm hands wound around his waist from behind. “This one was resting next to my stocking the year we met. I remember taking it out and seeing the stencil you’d picked for the coasters.” Patrick sighed contentedly, leaning back into David and gently poking at the coaster reverently.  
  
Patrick could find the beauty in anything David gave him, “It was so elegant. I could have never picked that out myself.” Patrick ran his fingertips over the raised text on the black and white coaster that simply said ‘Rose Apothecary, Handcrafted with Care’ with two roses separating the groups of words. “I know," Patrick said with a loving smile, "it shouldn’t have made me tear up, but then I turned it over and all hope of me keeping it together was lost.” He remembered before turning it over and running his finger over the text ingrained into the underside of the coaster.   
  


_‘I’m so glad you invested in my business, Patrick, because you’ve really helped to turn it into the success that it is. Est. April 5, 2017.’_ It was the date they’d opened the store for their ridiculous Friends and Family promotion. 

“I couldn’t believe you remembered exactly what I said. This one will always be my favorite.” 

“Ah, well don’t say _always_ , I plan to have more firsts and more ways to really bring you to your knees....uhm...metaphorically speaking of course.”   
  
Patrick chuckled, turning in his boyfriend’s arms to meet him with that side grin of his. David was attempting not to smile at his own sexual innuendo and failing perfectly. 

“What could be better than this?” Patrick rubbed David’s shoulder while admiring it. “We started our business here and almost a year later it’s still going strong. Profits are up over fifteen percent, that is actually pretty great!”

David tightened his hold snug around his boyfriend. “Mmhm, well I plan on getting you a much better tree next year where your family heirlooms have a bit more of a fighting chance at surviving than this...pathetic...little thing.” David waved flippantly at the Charlie Brown tree. Patrick laughed and leaned up to kiss his forehead.

“Thank you David. And for the record, I also love the jar of eucalyptus eye serum from my stocking, which I am _sure_ you paid for and have no ulterior motives for giving to me.”

“I don’t like what you are insinuating,” David said while flicking off an imaginary piece of lint from Patrick’s sweater. 

“Okay David, it's just that you like it when I put it on _your_ eyes, so this feels more like a gift to you, and not me.” Patrick jeered and never faltered.

In a low and husky voice David replied, “well I think any gift that can be shared among two people is something worth celebrating.”

“Speaking of gifts, I see a new one has suddenly appeared underneath my “pathetic” little tree. You happen to know anything about that?” Patrick asked. David reached behind him, grabbing the small black gift finished off with a bow from under the tree. 

“Oh, you mean this one?” David smirked, handing the package to Patrick. “Open it.” 

Patrick carefully peeled off the black gift wrap and felt a sob get caught in his throat at the ornament in his hands. He ran his fingertips over the brass, squeezing his eyes shut as his mind ran through the memories flooding back. 

_Patrick and David didn’t fight, it was a rare occurrence when it happened, which is why the pair had been so shaken up when Rachel had dropped into their lives unexpectedly. Rachel’s presence, Patrick’s betrayal and the fight that followed had almost fully derailed David and Patrick’s blossoming relationship before it really got a chance to shine._

_Sometimes in the repair of something precious, as the two lovers had learned, it was all about the comfort and soothing of one another to get back on track and in each other’s arms._

_It had to be delicate for these two, what with their long and winding history of unhealthy relationships and all._

_David had planned an entire multi-day rendezvous himself, as another olive branch extension to Patrick. They hadn’t called it a breakup, but it was most certainly a break when they had been apart for a week “processing their feelings”. The several emotional (and in retrospect, embarrassing) ‘take-me-back’ voicemails and text messages from Patrick were proof of that._

_Before they took the not-a-post-break-up trip to Toronto, David had sourced a lock and key from a local vendor of theirs. This was all in a setup for their dusk excursion at the[Humber Bay Arch Bridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Humber_Bay_Arch_Bridge.jpg) where lovers and friends would leave [locks](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ash2276/26063903374) as a symbol of their devotion to each other.  
  
This particular vendor had all sorts of knick knacks along with the most heavenly Brie David had ever tasted. In one sweep of his vendor’s market, David found the perfect __[lock](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=A1DFAC3664F46B231C44D415866CC660EE8D73DF&thid=OIP.0CoOTFDZ4U_1WdbC54fsswAAAA&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fbf%2F77%2F43%2Fbf774332d5ccdeb7ed9d29864e5682b0--heart-necklaces-key-necklace.jpg&exph=502&expw=335&q=vintage+lock+and+key&selectedindex=52&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6&ccid=0CoOTFDZ&simid=608026368933695040&sim=11) _ _._

_Also on this same trip, Patrick had decided to take their relationship to the next level physically. He and David had the conversation and that weekend, before any actual confessions of affection happened because David wasn’t ready to hear them yet, Patrick topped David. It was the most passionate and loving night of theirs to date, even though they had already given their bodies to each other when David had fucked Patrick into Stevie’s mattress months before. This experience was different and a fully vulnerable moment in Patrick’s life._

_After a rejuvenating time in Toronto, the lovers made their way back to Schitt’s Creek, making time to stop in at the famous bridge. Together, they put the lock on the wire, secured it tightly, and threw the key over the bridge and into the water.  
  
Patrick, knowing what a crucial moment this was for them, was sad to part from the lock and key, but knew the symbolism of it, and let it go. _

“I knew you didn’t really want to leave it on the bridge, so when we got back I made the drive back to their vendor and made her search their whole workshop for a lock and key in a similar style. She managed to find this set shoved into the back of a drawer. It’s almost exactly the same.” David reached up to wipe an escaped tear from Patrick’s cheek.   
  
  
Patrick could not stop the tears from flowing. David had engraved the date of the trip they took to Toronto directly on the lock. On the side it said exactly what Patrick put on their identical piece when they hung it on the bridge; “You and me, lock and key. January 20, 2018.” David made sure the lock was rigged in the right way to be hung as a delicate ornament. The note David tucked in next to the lock was written in the most beautiful calligraphy:

_Dearest,_

_My heart to you is given:  
  
_ _Oh, do you give yours to me;_

_We’ll lock them up together,_

_And throw away the key._   
  


_My life is forever changed:_

_All anxious thoughts are eased;_

_Let this be a forever reminder,_

_Of my constant devotion to thee._

Patrick stepped forward into David’s arms, soaking tears into the Givenchy sweatshirt. David, with his thoughts betraying him, questioned, “the poem, is it too much? Maybe I should have-” Patrick placed his fingers over David’s soft lips.

Patrick shushed him calmly. “No, my dearest, it was the perfect amount.” David nuzzled into Patrick’s sweater, shivering lightly at his words parroted back at him.

A few minutes went by and Patrick opened more of his gifts. He brought a hand up to his face, shook his head, and looked over to David again with that exasperated and fond look. “Body Milk, David? _Really?_ ” 

David whispered into the shell of Patrick’s ear, “It’s milk, _for your body._


	3. Brand New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years into their relationship and they’ve experienced a lot of growth, even more than in the years before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the short side. I am trying to get the rest of the story done today and then it will all be done before the reveal of authors! 
> 
> Thank you to my beta [dawns_early_light](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawns_early_light/pseuds/dawns_early_light) who helped make the end of the chapter that much more beautiful from her experiences.  
> This chapter is unbeta’ d as far as errors and grammar goes. Those are all my own. So sorry for issues with the spacing. Having Ao3 issues today.

**Three years later**  
  


Random thoughts would enter Patrick’s mind, especially on lazy Sundays when they had nowhere to be and Patrick could run his fingers through David’s jet black hair. Although David viewed his hair as one of his most prized assets, he loved it when Patrick played and naturally combed his hair, humming along with the delicate touches.  
  
Since David wasn't much of a morning person, Patrick learned early on that if you want a David Rose awake, you give him something to eat. Fortunately for Patrick, David craved bananas. So whether it was a rainy day, their day off, David’s day off, or a Sunday, Patrick made all things with banana in them. He researched all of the best banana muffin, banana pancakes, banana bread, and banana cheesecakes recipes he could find. If you give a David Rose a banana, he will wake up and contribute to society.  
  
They thoroughly enjoyed each other, touching all the time and just naturally staying in each other’s orbits. It was effortless and more than the kind of relationship where they finish each other’s sentences, they just got each other. Healthy relationships are like that, effortless and smooth.  
  
After their first Christmas together, it had been a constant ebb and flow of epic adventures together. From the ropes courses Alexis coaxed them into, to David reaching outside his comfort zone to play baseball with his boyfriend. Then there was the surprise party where Patrick came out to his parents and the hike where Patrick proposed to the love of his life.  
  
Although their relationship seemed to be hurried, they were gliding along, leading each other in through the various grooves of an uncharted, serious journey. 

Patrick loved looking over at his stunning, bed rumpled fiance while he donned the gold rings, resting his quite masculine fingers on Patrick’s chest. Patrick lived for days like that.

Because life was even better than their dreams, Christmas arrived suddenly faster than anticipated. 

Excitement bubbled inside David. He was eager to decorate their tree this year as it was their first year as a married couple. 

David was looking through the boxes that Patrick had pulled out full of ornaments. Patrick had just hung fresh white lights. He had always grown up with a colorful tree with strands of lights that looked as if they’d catch fire as soon as you lit them. However, David had insisted artificial trees of an old age were incorrect, gaudy, and decidedly dangerous.  
  
Patrick finally gave into David as he always did. Nothing pleased Patrick more than for David to be happy. The first ornament that David came across to place upon a branch was a laminated piece of paper simply stating “B13” inside of a clear ornament ball. This ornament always made them smile.  
  
_Because Patrick was such a nostalgic person, at the beginning of each day of the final week before they were married, he gifted his groom something of significance, and always in black satin packaging with teal tissue. It was their tradition and they were sticking to it._ _  
__  
__It was the day before the wedding and the ornament was wrapped carefully. David was so absent minded, he nearly dropped the box it was wrapped in. Not that it mattered because transparent ornaments were a dime a dozen, but breaking a groom’s gift would be seen as bad luck and David didn’t want to jinx anything before their wedding._

“Mmm, I remember this one,” David said brightly. “It’s _my_ favorite actually.” Patrick followed the lines of the gorgeous hand gesturing to the key dangling on the tree. Patrick blushed. 

“Oh yeah, that.”

“Mmm, yes! ‘ _That_!’” David was teasing Patrick with his own words. “I arrived at your place from an exhausting day and looked at the glowing naked tree standing in the middle of the room.”

“Except for..”  
  
“Except for that one key in the middle of the tree with a burgundy velvet bow attached.” David closed his eyes remembering how he approached the tree and took the key into his hands.  
  
_Patrick had been relaxing in his bed waiting for David to come over with the carry-out and red wine. As soon as he saw David making a disgruntled face at the tree, Patrick gathered himself up quietly and inched his way to David. As soon as he heard the delighted gasp, Patrick wrapped his arms around David and rested his head against David’s neck. “Merry Early Christmas, baby,” Patrick said and David wasted no time turning in his arms to look at his thoughtful boyfriend.  
_

_“Is this what I think it is?” David squealed and Patrick nodded. “So I can come over whenever I want to? No questions asked?” Patrick looked David in the eyes and gave a sexy chuckle.  
_

_“No, babe, that key was made just for....well I want you to move in with me.” The words came out a little hesitantly, but the inflection and confidence was there enough that David started to tear up and laugh all at the same time.  
_

“Are...are you sure,” David asked and it made Patrick’s heart hurt just a little. How could his fiancé think he wasn’t ever sure about their future.

“I should have done this a long time ago, But I wanted to have some time here for a while. You ask if I’m sure? I’m done thinking it over. The decision was easy, I made the execution too difficult. Please, move in with me, David Rose.” David cried into Patrick’s neck and they held each other for a while, leaning into the emotion and giant milestone they were taking together.  
  
“Honestly, David, if this place is too small,” David gave a timid smile and looked down at the hardwood floor and trailed his eyes unconfidently, “we can look at other apartments...or..or houses maybe?”

David wasn’t sure how to respond to the gesture, but the key was enough for the moment.   
  


“Yeah, well it is a little hard to not think about the bow when you never took it off in the first place,” Patrick bit back with a smirk on his adorable face.

Patrick then unwrapped a figure of Mariah Carey at the same time David had unwrapped a figure of Tina Turner. They faced each other to laugh before placing the divas far from each other on the tree.

In order to quickly change the subject from who was the better diva, an argument Patrick never won, a Patrick searched for the next big milestone of their relationship in ornament form, the one that read, “All You Need Is Love” across the top in bold lettering with a photo of David and Patrick inside the frame. In the photo they were wearing white shirts that simply said “Proud 2018” on the front and as it was Patrick’s first Pride event and David’s first healthy relationship with a gay man. David’s experience as a pansexual at the parade was just as cathartic and significant.

As David surveyed the tree, he couldn't believe how nonchalantly Patrick took the rainbow shaped ornament and placed it towards the bottom of the tree.

“Nope! Nope, nope, nope. That placement is incorrect.” He unhooked the piece from the tree. 

“David, you’re like molasses when decorating the tree. You can’t place every important ornament of our relationship to the front, you have to spread them out and let other areas of the tree have some sparkle to it.”

“Uh huh, well, agree to disagree on this one. Though, you do get brownie points for using the word “sparkle.” 

Patrick chuckled. “Noted, David.” 

Taking a step back and looking rather frustrated with the idea of moving any ornaments David hurried out, “Well. I think all of these deserve to be at the front of the tree, especially this one.” David loved looking at this one special ornament year after year. Patrick’s face was euphoric when the photo was taken and David was just as happy standing next to him with his LGBTQ flag in his hand. He’d never seen a photo of Patrick radiating of total happiness before. Patrick had a smile brighter than that of any other. He was free of all the weight that had held him down for years; out and accepted by his friends and family. It was clear in this photo that Patrick had accepted who he was meant to be.

David was blissed out because he was sharing the moment with his love and _their_ love wasn’t hidden. David had always been accustomed to being the dirty little secret in his relationships, so to have Patrick on his arm or kissing his hand as they walked around downtown Toronto, the same place where they left the lock, was important. Patrick had that goofy, wide open expression of his, it was huge for David. 

_He had to catch his breath when he saw Patrick twirling around in the street, footloose and fancy free. The beat was catchy and the lyrics perfect. The day was perfect. As overcast as it was, their love shown brightly, for love, for life, for them. Free to be themselves and surrounded by people as open and honest as their hearts felt. This was their moment with others of all different sexualities and orientations; Patrick’s soul burned brighter than the sun next to a man who burned for him._

_Then Patrick sang along to the chorus._

_Like when I close my eyes and don't even care  
_ _if anyone sees me dancing  
_ _Like I can fly, and don't even think  
_ _of touching the ground_

 _Like a heartbeat skip, like an open page_  
_Like a one way trip on an aeroplane  
_ _It's the way that I feel when I'm with you, brand new_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title comes from Ben Rector’s [Brand New](https://youtu.be/-SMYzllRyqg)  
> I highly suggest you listen to this uplifting song and imagine David and Patrick running around the Pride Parade skipping and holding each other and enjoying being free to live out their joyful lives.
> 
> I knew Ben in college and I can tell you he would probably be so happy for these two and respect what Dan Levy is building.


	4. The Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of chapter 3. Patrick has a surprise for David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done! Just one more chapter remains! And then a bonus chapter, probably. Hope you are liking this so far! 
> 
> This chapter is unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine. Just trying to get this done as fast as possible.

  
  
Decorating for the holidays with David Rose was a feat all on it’s own, though Patrick marveled in the ways he expertly packaged Patrick’s family heirlooms in little pockets among the organization totes. The argument to switch from ancient cardboard boxes the Brewers kept in the attic ready for collapse over to new, sturdy plastic tubs with delicate packing paper lasted all of five seconds.   
  
If there were anyone who cared more about Patrick’s family’s ornaments, it was David. Always David. He cared for Patrick’s possessions more than someone should, which included the camel carpeting in Patrick’s first apartment. Shoes were never allowed past one foot of the doorway.   
  
Just about any argument had between the lovers, Patrick would concede to David since they got married. Mainly because Patrick never knew love could feel like this and just about anything David wanted, Patrick would gladly give. Stevie once made the joke while watching seasonal movies how Patrick would lasso the moon for David if he asked for it. It earned a handful of popcorn chucked to her face while Patrick leaned in to plant a big smooch on David’s cheek, barely missing his mouth.   
  
_ “What do you want, you want the moon, David? Just say the word and I’ll-” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Okay! Enough!” And David would throw another handful at Patrick.  _ _   
_ _   
_ After a few more of Patrick’s obnoxious belts of Mariah’s Christmas album, all there was left from decorating the tree was to put the containers away and head up the stairs.   
  
“Not so fast,” Patrick said while grabbing for David’s elbow. “You missed one.”    
  
David had glitter on his face from some of the gold glitter covered glass balls he hung as a last stitch effort to add more dazzle to the tree. “What  _ one?  _ What could possibly fit on this tree? Seriously?”    
  
“Well David, if you’ll just check that front pocket there, there’s something.” Patrick pointed to the black velvet bag with the drawstring that had been sitting against the hearth for the last 10 minutes of Patrick shrieking ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.’ David took out a liter of Wild Turkey Whiskey and in the pocket of the bag he saw the teal blue tissue which caused David to gasp. Something very special was in that tissue paper.   
  
Patrick moved a little closer and placed his hand upon his husband’s knee. “The whiskey is from Stevie, she wanted you to have a taste from that night at her apartment. She seems to be just as nostalgic as you these days.” David narrowed his eyes at Patrick as he knew full well it was Patrick who was the most sentimental of the three of them.    
  
God. That night at Stevie’s apartment. The night they fully connected just the way David had yearned and pined about for weeks.    
  
_ “David?” Patrick said in exasperation. “We’ll take the place.” God damn did they ever. _   
  
David could see it was maroon and white before noticing the text written on it. “Schitts Creek Motel 7.” David looked up at Patrick. “Really, David, it’s nothing, I just wanted you to have it, and if you don’t want to have a reminder of-”   
  
“It’s perfect,” David said with a low whisper, looking down and then back up into Patrick’s eyes. “And this? This is not nothing. So thank you, sweetheart.” He pulled Patrick into a kiss then set the motel key fashioned into an ornament at the top. David had to stand on his tip-toes to place it there, but it was the perfect touch to their decorating.   
  
Patrick held David for a while as they looked upon the tree, drinking their whiskey, seeing all of their memories hanging there and knowing they had so much more to come. “You didn’t ask, but Stevie held onto that key when you turned it in. She gave it to me with specific instructions to give it to you on a special occasion. Figured this was as good a time as ever.” David fought back tears thinking of the genuine loyalty and consideration his best friend and husband had for him. David’s life had become one full of love.   
  
  
“So tell me, Mr. Rose, why did you wait until now to open the whiskey?” David smiled at Patrick who snatched a quick kiss to his cheek and sat happily on Patrick’s thighs.   
  
“The whiskey was more of an afterthought, plus you know what it does to my dick when I have had too much of it.” Patrick sprung a wide smile and jiggled David on his lap seductively; shaking his head teasingly.    
  
“Mmhm, yeah, we don’t need to go back into that again.”   
  
This had become Patrick’s life. A gorgeous man to wake up to, a thriving business to call their own, and to think he almost didn’t trust himself to let go and pursue such a life.   
  
The Schitt’s Creek Motel key hung there. Patrick’s mind drifted off to a place where he remembered so many of their firsts. It was Patrick’s first time to kiss a man, his first time to feel fireworks and magic in a kiss.    
  
_ All the things you’re supposed to feel. I felt them. _   
  
The first time Patrick placed his fingertips to his lips and sighed a heavy, happy sigh from feeling the warm tingle through his body generated at his lips after a good thirty minutes of still sitting in the parking lot at the motel, processing the kiss that knocked every other kiss in his life out of the park.    
  
It was at the motel where Patrick first held David’s hand as he walked him up to his room where David and Alexis lived. It was a short distance, but Patrick took David’s hand in his, gliding his fingers around David’s and clasping shut. They stood at the doorway gazing into each other’s eyes, not missing a moment when Patrick took the bold leap that he couldn’t do on their first date, and locked lips with David’s luscious, smooth pair.    
  
Another first for them was after they left Stevie’s apartment and as David reached for the door knob, Patrick tugged at his wrist and dragged him back into his car for what was their fourth round. Messy, awkward, and rushed, but it was satisfying. David looked fully sex-wrecked when he finally got back out of Patrick’s car. Patrick had to capture one more kiss from David before messing up his hair royally. He wanted every inch of David to be screaming that he was on fire and that he belonged to Patrick.    
  
The motel would always serve as a precious reminder of their love as it was the place of a hurried first look before the wedding when the Brewers and the Roses shared craft beers in the parking lot, Patrick peppering David’s cheek and neck with sweet ‘I’m about to marry you’ kisses.    
  
After the ceremony, David took Patrick back to the motel briefly to consummate their marriage and rough Patrick’s hair up for a change. The ruffled curls and strays from David’s touch looked delicious on Patrick, sending David into a sexual frenzy at the reception.    
  
_ Outside. Patrick was outside. _   
  
The motel and town of Schitt’s Creek served as a reminder of their everlasting redemption; each of the Roses coming out of what was originally a dire situation with something even better than when they started. David met his best friend Stevie and shared a first kiss with whom would be his future husband. Patrick became a much bolder, take-charge version of himself because of the strength he gained from David.   
  
No matter the discussion on the topic of who impacted who more, both David and Patrick found they needed each other and had always been searching for the other in their lives. It just took a little over thirty years to find whom they were looking for.


	5. So Faithfully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has been good to David and Patrick, they decide to make a big decision.
> 
> There are still more amazing ornaments and memories for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The entire fic isn't about this one tag, so I am just mentioning it here. There is mention of miscarriage, but it isn't much. Just wanted to give a heads-up that it is in there, though.
> 
> Thank you to my beta [dawns_early_light](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawns_early_light/pseuds/dawns_early_light) who was my rock during all of this. 🍉🍭
> 
> Well this story is wrapped up, but it was such a joy to write it for you and my hope is that I was able to fulfill your desire of your prompt. Maybe there could be companion pieces in the future, but for now, this has come to an end. oh, and enjoy the Easter egg :-)
> 
> For the lovely Lisa, hope you like your “mac and cheese” ;-)

**7 years later** **  
****  
** It was hard to believe so much had changed in the first few years of their marriage, but the continued success of Rose Apothecary, the addition of the online presence, and the ability to open other franchises in various cities close and far from home made the days and months vanish quickly, but along with all of the business there was so much pleasure.  
  
The two happily married husbands attended farmers markets on Saturdays when their breakfasts were consumed. Sundays were laundry and movie days, of which David and Patrick alternated on which movies to watch, but they rarely watched any of the films, as they couldn’t keep their eyes and hands off each other. Instead they would hold each other in their arms, kiss, and take kitten naps. Sundays were really their favorite because of the quiet intimacy in their home. David marveled how so many years later and they still could press all of the right buttons to get the other hot and bothered.  
  
++++++  
  
Soon after they began looking for a home, making sure they listed all of the negotiables, the must-haves, the dream pieces to their abode, etcetera; they finally settled on a four bedroom home close to Schitt’s Creek with a wrap-around porch, a sun-room in the back, open floor plan for hosting get-togethers for all sides of their families, and a dream of an office for Patrick to do whatever thrilled him business wise. It wasn’t exactly their dream home, but it was damn near close. David loved reading in the sun-room and just like a cat, would fall asleep peacefully anytime the sun hit his face or beautiful figure; a sight Patrick loved to stumble upon.  
  
Patrick’s parents and cousins would come to visit them and often times, Patrick’s _unannounced_ to be favorite cousin Jack would bring his daughter Susan over for visits. David would get heartsick when Susan and her father would leave as he’d developed a special bond with her, helping to dress her American Girl dolls and buying her outfits to match Kirsten and Kit, teaching Susan how to play his old favorite board game, Pente, and how to properly braid her hair.  
  
On one such afternoon when Jack and Susan left the Roses and headed back for Montreal, David broke down crying, beckoning the start of an important conversation between Patrick and David.  
  
“Sweetheart, I am worried about you, it seems to get harder and harder for you to let Susan go each time she comes here.” David sniffled, brushed the tears away from his eyes, and nodded solemnly. Patrick took David’s hands into his and encouraged him to look him in the eyes. “David?”  
  
“It’s just, I love to buy her dresses to match Kit and this time when she put the aubergine polka-dotted one on herself to match, they looked so beautiful next to each other and I- I want that, Patrick.” Still looking into his eyes, Patrick felt a smile draw over his own face looking at David like he was the most precious thing in the world, and he really was.  
  
“Oh, David, well let’s talk about that. Can we?” Patrick captured the next few tears that began to fall down David’s cheeks and then cupped David’s hands and kissed them tenderly. He waited patiently for David to continue speaking.  
  
“I know I said it before that I have an annoyance with babies…”  
  
“I believe the word used was ‘hate babies,’ but I’ll let it slide this time,” and he winked at David.  
  
“I know, I said that and I hate myself for saying it sometimes because I look at Susan, and, well, she’s perfect. It makes sense because your family is so put together and, uhm, normal. My family isn’t. I think if we were to have kids, I’m afraid….” David wasn’t able to finish the sentence because he was heaving with sobs in Patrick’s arms, laid bare completely before his husband.  
  
Patrick drew them both to the leather chair and sat with David upon his lap.  
  
“Hey, it’s okay,” Patrick soothed, “I’m here, I’m right here.” He cradled David’s body into his own. “David, is that what this is all about? Are you afraid he is going to end up like you? Is that it?”  
  
David gulped, took the tissue Patrick offered to him from at the sofa table and curled back into Patrick’s arms deeper. “Aren’t you afraid of that too?”  
  
Patrick lifted David’s chin, looked into his eyes and shook his head at him in slight amusement. “David, you know I married you, right? Do you think I wouldn’t want someone like you? Look at you! You are beautiful, you’re the most handsome man I have ever met or will ever meet and I am not just saying that. Out of everyone I met at University and anyone since, no one has compared to you. Not even close. So if we had kids, you know I would want them to look just like you, her hair would be raven black and her skin olive. And if we have a daughter and she looks as good as you, I will get the best shotgun and make sure her dates bring her home on time.” He smiled and placed a hand on David’s cheek.   
  
“You’re smart, so smart, David. You took an idea of helping small business owners and not only helped them, but you made a living helping them. Their businesses could have gone under if it weren’t for you. Remember Mrs. McGilcutty who came by the other day? Her creams have sold out twenty-fold the amount at Rose Apothecary than her own store and that is all due to you.” Patrick said, pointing a finger at David sweetly.  
  
“And do you remember when I broke my arm falling off that ladder two years ago and you took care of me everyday and made sure I had all of my medicines set out, fresh pajamas every night to sleep in at the end of the bed, and all of my favorite snacks?” David blushed at the last part. Of course Patrick would have his snacks, he was part of the ‘snacks.’  
  
“You called my mom to ask for the recipe of my favorite macaroni and cheese and even though you didn’t fold the cheese in the right way, it was still the best I’d ever had. Now, who does that sound like to you? A monster?” Patrick hugged David a little tighter and felt David’s cheeks turn into a smile.

“In my defense, you have several pairs of the same pajamas and it’s really to launder yours compared to mine. Also, no where on the box did it say the cheese needed to be folded in and im not some kind of wizard or know-it-all who can figure that kind of thing out on a whim.”  
  
“David…”  
  
“What?! It said to put the block of cheese into the pan!”  
  
“Next to….”  
  
“Ugh! Next to the words that said it needed to be chopped up first. But it was tiny print, TINY print! Thumbellina couldn’t have written any smaller than that!” Patrick laughed. Hard. Into David’s shoulder.  
  
“Thats- oh my god- see David? You are so funny, you make me laugh all day long. Who wouldn’t want that in a little girl or a little boy? I’ll bet you were this witty when you were a teenager.” Patrick dug his fingers into the soft fabric of David’s sweater.   
  
“The point is, you, Johnny, Moira, Alexis....you are all the reason why I wanted to marry you. I wanted the whole package and I got it. So maybe dry those tears a little more and just know that I want a family with you if that’s what- if that’s what you want.”  
  
  
“I think just being in this house, building a beautiful life with you, seeing how happy your cousin is with Susan and your other cousins and their families and how gentle just like you they are, I know you would make an amazing father. I just know it. Deep in my bones, I know it.” David looked into Patrick’s eyes genuinely and with so much openness that it made Patrick choke up.  
  
“Oh, sweetheart,” Patrick said just above a whisper, “you’d make an amazing father, too. A loving, kind, good, nice father. I believe in you David.” Then Patrick kissed his lips softly, holding David’s neck delicately.  
  
David looked dead on into Patrick’s eyes, not letting his words get muffled or unheard. “Honey. Patrick, I’m ready. I am willing to give adoption or whatever will make our family grow a chance if you are, Patrick, but if you’re not ready or you don’t think you want to-” Just then, Patrick got them both off of the chair they were sitting in, squeezed David’s hands, pulling him into his arms, lifting David’s body up off the ground, and twirled them both around. All it took was the word adoption.  
  
“Oh David, I’m so happy!” he let the tears flow down his face as he allowed himself to unabashedly gush over his husband. “You are the best husband in the whole world. So kind, David. So generous. I want a family with you. Life is so easy with you and I want us to be fathers together. We can do it.” With every pause, Patrick would kiss all over David in different areas of his face, making David melt into the sincerity of the moment. They were really going to do this, venture into the different options of parenthood in a same-sex marriage.  
  
Not that this was a decision to take lightly, but Patrick felt free, really free. Even though they were discussing the idea of adding a child to their home to take away their freedom, they both felt it in the air, a significant measure of peace.  
  
They both had discussed before how needy children could be and how they whole-heartedly depend on you for everything and how some people were not meant for that lifestyle, but Patrick knew he wanted every kind of milestone he could have with his husband. Just like his decision to ask David to marry him, the **second** easiest decision of Patrick’s life was to start a family with him.  
  
There was no trace of trepidation within Patrick’s spirit and he could tell by the way David looked at Patrick that David shared the same feeling. This was one of those moments that you dream about and Patrick was soaking it in, feeling the moment their lives were about to change, if even for just the idea of them starting a family.  
  
A few months later, after careful research and guidance from their parents, David and Patrick decided to search out a surrogate. The advances in research and development for surrogacy allowed for an embryo to have the genetic makeup of two individuals; it would be risky and the traits would be unknown, but it was something they desperately wanted to have. They began saving their money while looking for a surrogate, but either the surrogates flaked out, the surrogate wasn’t a good fit, or something else would inevitably go wrong in the process.  
  
After a few more weeks of arriving to dead ends with more surrogates, they decided to back off from the idea, allowing the Universe to make the call for when the time would be right for them, and the Universe had always been on their side, so why not let it go and allow themselves more freedom.  
  
  
They took trips out of the country, visited their parents more, donated to local charities, helped out with non-profit organizations, and one breezy Tuesday afternoon in December, Stevie strolled into Rose Apothecary holding a red bag.  
  
Stevie walked in seeing David sing along to the Mariah Carey Christmas album and could hear Patrick singing in the back room. They were so unbelievably, sickeningly adorable. Stevie loved it.  
  
“Hey David! Is your husband busy?”  
  
“Yeah, uhm, I think he’s in the back working on inventory, but I can get him, why?” David came over to give Stevie a hug. They weren’t exactly affectionate people, but it was Christmas time and a certain Je ne sais quoi had filled the air that day.  
  
“I have something for both of you, an early Christmas present, and I just, well…oh, hey Patrick, how are you?” She seemed nervous, too polite for her personality, and both men looked at each other questionably for a moment.  
  
“Hey Stevie, what brings you in here? Is it that time for the bottles of wine? I can see if I have more in the back, or, uhm, tapenade.” Patrick was teasing, but also just trying to help Stevie to feel comfortable.  
  
“I guess I will just let this do the talking for me,” Stevie shoved the small bag towards David and Patrick who weren’t standing too close to each other, but they took it from her at the same time anyway. David held the bag while Patrick unwrapped what was in it.  
  
Inside the tissue paper was a card that read, “In keeping with your silly sentimental ornament tradition, this seemed appropriate for the two best dads I’ve ever known. Merry Christmas.” Patrick and David clung to the word, _‘dads’_ and then unwrapped an ornament that said, ‘I am the Stork for these Two Dorks,’ fashioned with a cartoon stork wearing a flannel scarf around its neck carrying a baby in a bundle. Letting this sink in, both David and Patrick clung to each other, David holding the ornament, but then placing it in the bag. They were radiating joy for the life they were already leading, David and Patrick burst into joyful tears upon hearing this life-changing offer from Stevie. Seeing the elation on her two friends’ faces was all it took for her tears to soon follow.

  
  
“Stevie, are you sure? This is what you really want to do?”  
  
“Yes, David, I really want to do this for you. You never asked, but I know why you didn’t, and it’s not a burden for me. I want to do this for you guys. You both are the brothers I never had. I would do anything for you two.” At that, David took Stevie into their arms, they were holding each other tightly, the three of them, embracing in Rose Apothecary in a strong, intimate hug that meant they found their surrogate and it was their best friend and honorary sister.  
  
The process was the most loving, thoughtful, exciting journey for all three of them. They attended counseling sessions regularly for the process of what was to be expected in the coming months and years, and what Stevie’s role in their child’s life would be. Stevie was the surrogate, to be sure, but they also wanted for Stevie to be a part of their child’s life in any way that was deemed appropriate.  
  
The day after an exceptionally emotional ultrasound where they found out their first born would be a baby girl, Stevie bought the cutest little onesie for Patrick that read, ‘These Two Dads are Raising a Heart-breaker,’ which was an inside joke between them, but it just made Patrick cry even harder when he saw it. Truly, Patrick was struggling to keep the emotions at bay always. There was an ongoing bet between David and Alexis on who was more emotional during the pregnancy, Patrick or David. But if everyone was being honest, David and Alexis would cry together many times on their little sibling dates with just the two of them, euphorically happy they were living their best lives, and what wonderful lives they truly were.  
  
David spent months baby-proofing their home, designing the most beautiful Parisian theme for baby Abbigale; the name borrowed from Patrick’s grandmother, ‘Mother Abbey’, and consuming as much literature as possible in preparation for a little one.  
  
  
The morning Stevie’s water broke was an adventure. It all happened in their guest bedroom because David wanted to watch Stevie like a hawk, or as Patrick lovingly put it, ‘a mother hen.’ 

David placed Stevie in their new SUV and went back into the house to retrieve their overnight bags. Before they walked out, Patrick grabbed David’s wrist and pulled him into a hug.  
  
David was pleased with himself that he found the mattress protector days before, one that his mother-in-law gave Patrick when he leased his first apartment.  
  
“David Rose, when we come back here, we are bringing our daughter with us.”  
  
“Are we ready to do this?” David asked, sighing into Patrick’s arms.  
  
“Open the door, David.” He did, allowing a cool feeling up and down his spine from remembering those words from so long ago. They got into the car, ready for their new adventure as parents.  
  
Once Abbigale arrived to the world, 12 hours later, Moira had porcelain baby booties in pastel pink custom designed to say, “Abbigale Nathalie Rose, October 4th, 2024 6lbs, 9oz 3:22AM,” and it was just perfect.  
  
For the first few months, when Abbey struggled to sleep, or as Moira would say, ‘agitate egregiously in her slumber’, Patrick would sing Mariah Carey or Bill Withers. Abbey seemed to love the lines, “Just the two of us, building castles in the sky,” and “and darling when the morning comes, and I see the morning sun.”   
  
Also, when Patrick would do the dishes, David also could be caught singing on the baby monitor, which David conveniently continuously forgot was next to the bread box. _“You’re everything I hoped for, you’re everything I need. You are so beautiful to me.”_  
Patrick never wanted to disturb them, but when he heard the angelic voice of his husband over the crystal clear monitor, he clutched his chest aching with love for the two most important people in his life; his world, his everything.  
  
++++  
  
  


“You, uh, you have a little bit of apple juice on your chin.” Patrick swiped the excess apple liquid Abbey had flung at David when playing with her crazy straw. He still couldn’t believe his life was real, staring at his gorgeous tall dark and handsome husband holding their stunning daughter in his perfect, immaculate hands.

There were so many ways Abbey would unintentionally stain one of David’s sweaters or fling cereal into David’s hair that would make Patrick laugh so hard, which also made Abbey giggle and her laugh was the exact same timing and decibel at Patrick’s. Enough to make David melt.  
  
David thought Patrick had taught Abbey that specific behavior trait, but as it turned out, Abbey was just clumsy and needed to pay better attention to her surroundings. Their sweet and shy little girl with midnight black hair and honey-brown eyes continued to giggle. 

“So while you both are laughing, I’m making the declaration that this is not fun for me and you are both the devil.” Abbey took her two fingers and shoved them up to her head to make devil horns, giving David better access to tickle her, eliciting the adorable laughter from her.

Picking up his daughter from David and placing her on his knee while he sat, Patrick kissed her and whispered in her ear, “it’s funny to tease daddy isn’t it?” She giggled again and placed a delicate hand to Patrick’s cheek before kissing him back. 

Patrick never missed an opportunity to tease David in their 6 years of marriage.

“So I see you plan to tease me for the rest of the day,” David said.  
  
Patrick leaned over while David held the baby Yoda ornament Abbey had to have when she saw it next to the rest of the Star Wars ornaments at the Hallmark store. Patrick grabbed his sweater and pulled David close to him while still holding their daughter.  
  
David grimaced. This was Valentino and not meant to be manhandled.

Patrick whispered into the shell of David’s ear, “not just today, David, but for the rest of your life.” This made David shiver as it was either the creepiest thing he’d ever heard his husband say or it was the most endearing. He decided to go with endearing.  
  
++++  
  


Each year of their marriage, once they’d bought their first home, Patrick and David visited the local tree farm to get a real pine tree. When Abbey had arrived into their world, David was able to use the excuse for not carrying the tree to the car and then up the stairs into their house because he was holding their daughter. The compromise was that David would have to take care of Abbey’s every need while he set the tree up and then give Patrick a long, one hour minimum, sensuous massage.  
  
Their tree over the years became more and more sentimental and David had one of their vendors custom design a black and white gingham garland wrap around their tree. It coordinated nicely with the silver, black and white filler ornaments that filled in the tree between all of their precious heirloom and keepsake ornaments they had collected over the years together. Every one of them tied to a special meaning or memory that was just theirs.

  
Anytime their families visited, the young Rose family tree took their breath away and Patrick was always praising David in front of their guests for his ability to turn anything in their home into a masterpiece, especially when it came to balancing Abbey’s natural aesthetic to David’s.  
  
Unfortunately, to every season, there is a time to build up and a time to break down. A time for joy and a time for pain.  
  
When they tried to have another child with Stevie, she had a miscarriage that left them all devastated. David had begun preparing the room for little Chloe Eleanor when in the middle of painting the mural of Rapunzel’s tower with hair cascading out of it, they received the call from Roland that Stevie was rushed to emergency. Within hours, Chloe was gone. They all put a pause on trying for another and focused on healing. David was by Stevie’s bedside everyday in the hospital when she recovered, and kept her spirits up.  
  
The miscarriage was not Stevie’s fault and the Roses never made her to feel as if she was less than extraordinary.  
  
Patrick, David, and Abbey Rose decided as a family to paint on a ceramic ornament,  
“Heaven will hold you before we do and keep you safe until we come home to you.  
Chloe Eleanor Rose  
May 19th, 2026” They each marked their initials into the piece and place it into the kiln to be fired. Five days later, they’d have a completed ornament and would be steps closer to closure.  
  
There beside Abbey’s “Baby’s First Christmas 2024” ornament, sat the one for Chloe.

++++  
  


Taking himself out of a heartbreaking moment, looking at the ceramic piece hanging on the tree branch, his darling Patrick started to laugh a little while wrapping a few presents for under the tree and turned to look at David. Patrick always had a way to constantly easy his mind, even if unintentional. “So...so I’m guessing it’s just going to be me this year wrapping all of the presents, is that it?”

David closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. Patrick was so amused by David being uncomfortable in the moment. 

“Okay,” David started, and Patrick knew this was gonna be good. “It’s just I had no idea you had so many cousins, and baby gifts always need to be wrapped, at least until they’re old enough not to want to unwrap. They like to rip the paper.” Patrick’s heart warmed knowing David loves the look on his cousins’ faces when they open Christmas presents. 

Jabbing at him further, “okay, sweetheart. I get that, I really do, and I know it took time for the paper cuts to heal, but you could, you know, put some of the gifts in a few of these gift bags? Maybe? Wouldn’t want you to break a sweat, though.”

David stepped over to the tub of gift bags and tissue paper to swiftly wrap the gifts Patrick had set aside. They’re all gifts for the adults, and Patrick didn’t want to be a troll, exactly. He just wanted to watch those magnificent hands twirl around the tissue, expertly wrapping each item before setting the bags down, under the branches of their enormous tree. 

Patrick leaned over the table watching his husband shove gift wrapping supplies back into their different designated spots, though David was frustrated with how much difficulty he was having. David took all of the bags, tissue paper, ribbons, and bows, and shoved it all out of the container with one giant,dramatic groan. 

“David?” Patrick said with a shit-eating grin, “has anyone ever told you the phrase, ‘don’t get your tinsel in a tangle’? Because it really is right now.”

“Eeew-uh! Please never say that again. And no, no one has ever said that to me because it sounds like something your grandmother would say. You and I,” David points between them very seriously, too seriously, “we are both grown men.”  
  
Feigning hurt feelings, Patrick jabbed again at David. “Mother Abbey would be so shocked you would say that about her, especially given that your daughter is her namesake.”  
  
David just rolled his eyes and remained icy silent getting back to his task.

Feeling fully satisfied at making David uncomfortable, he backed off and watched David’s hands at work, twirling ribbons around spools, neatly folding tissue paper, and in this waxing, poetic way worked it all out so well. 

“See? Now was that so hard?” A troll, David was convinced there was a troll in their house wearing Patrick’s clothing and measuring gift paper to brown boxes. It is what he suspected all along.  
  
David stared at him narrowly, a grin slowly formed to the side of his mouth while staring at Patrick’s eyes which were gazed still, down at his hands. Those lovely, capable hands Patrick was helpless for.

“Mkay, so I can see right through you. You didn’t really care that I was gift wrapping, you just like to stare.”

“Can you blame me?” Patrick lowered himself to the floor and crawled his way to his husband.

“Not exactly, but if I were covered in paper cuts-“ Patrick had to cut him off with a kiss to his mouth. He needed David to know that no matter what, Patrick would drool for days over those ridiculously gorgeous hands and masculine fingers. 

“No, sweetheart. I want you always.” That was all he needed to say.  
  
++++  
  
Later, once all the gifts were wrapped, the Woodwick candle had fully burned out, and Abbey was fast asleep, Patrick snuggled up to David on their sectional.

“Uhm, so you know,, David, speaking of babies, I thought maybe we could try again. Stevie left the hospital weeks ago, but she came to me the other day and said she’d be willing to give it another try.” David turned to face his ever timid husband and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, straddling his legs.

“Yeah,” he said low and gentle, “we can do that, try again, I mean.” David meant it. It had been a sad year knowing they could have had another daughter, and then lost that dream, but they were ready to give it one more try. 

A few more traditional Christmas songs came on while they sat there, making out, and then another playlist came on right after. 

The tune, so familiar, it made David blush remembering their first dance. Patrick pulled David to his feet and they began to sway. 

_  
Treated me kind_

_So faithfully_

_Carried me through desperation_

_To the one that was waiting for me_

  
At the end, Patrick wrapped David into a tight hug and stood there with him not moving more than an inch away.

“You’re, you- this is a really long hug now, Patrick.”

“Mmhm,” Patrick hummed, “just one more minute.” And David didn’t let him go. He held tighter to Patrick’s grip. 

  
++++  
  
Abbey made ornaments of her own. David joked that one of them, made from Popsicle sticks looked like the raft from Castaway, so as a teasing gesture, Patrick made a tiny volleyball with red hand print and placed it on the raft. David, upon finding the ornament had changed overnight, marched into the kitchen and said, “oh you think you’re very funny, don’t you?”  
  
“Yes, I do, as a matter of fact.”  
  
Then there was the “Thanks for all the orgasms” ornament Patrick bought David. Only this would be the last year they could hang it as Abbey understood more and more words, and was starting to wonder what the strange noises her dads were making down the hall sometimes, an interesting conversation they all seemed to have at Patrick’s parents’ house in front of everyone.  
  
And oh were they glad Mother Abbey was not around for _that_ conversation. 

The year David got sick with the flu, Patrick still wanted to be intimate as he could with David, so they would do Eskimo kisses instead of the passionate ones they would do daily. Even Abbey picked up on the gesture and preferred all of her kisses with her dads to be the Eskimo kind.  
  
One day when Patrick and David were in Alaska on an anniversary trip, David bought the cutest little ornament of two Eskimos kissing, one with jet black hair and the other with messy, auburn hair. It was so them and it was in a display case in a charming little store in Anchorage.  
  
One Christmas, Moira had slipped a small wrapped package into Patrick’s stocking with a little note that said, “From Abbey” which was silly in that Abbey was still a toddler. They knew it was from Moira because she did this sort of thing all the time, but the excitement to get these little gifts from ‘Abbey’ always made them feel warm inside, especially Patrick.  
  
The ornament was circular with two tall penguins on each side of a smaller penguin. The text read, ‘I Love My Dapper Dads,’ which made David hug and kiss Abbey upon seeing it.   
  
  
“You love your dapper dads, don’t you sweetie?” Abbey’s cheeks turned pink when she smiled, taking the ornament from Patrick in her tiny hand. David leaned in to kiss Patrick on the mouth and as he pulled back, could feel the strong grip Patrick had on his ass, leaving him wanting more. Abbey looked between them and smiled, waiting for kisses on her head and cheeks, and her dads never ceased to give them.  
  
“I’m so lucky, David. I can’t believe this life we have sometimes. I think about it all the time.” Patrick was choking up a little looking at David holding their daughter while making sure the mantle looked perfect with all of their black and white gingham stockings aligned across the top.  
  
Patrick looked lovingly at his family across from him. “I also see how much you have, uhm, you know, grown as a person, as my husband, wanting a family with me, it’s too much sometimes you know?”  
  
David set Abbey down to play with her custom made American Girl doll that looked exactly like her. Originally she named her ‘Abbey,’ but once she realized how much her Geema Moira loved her wig, ‘Cindy,’ Abbey wanted her doll to be the same name.  
  
Cindy was so beautiful with her full head of black as night curls, button nose, and honeyed eyes. She looked exactly like Abbey and it made David proud his daughter loved her looks so much, especially given how much he wanted to change his look from a young age.   
  
The way she drew the freckles on her face in her drawings on the easel Patrick gave her, naming all of them, including the small mole on her chin, it made David’s heart soar. David know, especially with some of her David-like emotional outbursts, there could be a day in the future where David would have to remind Abbey of all of the things she’s loved about herself, but Abbey was very different from David and Patrick with her self imagery. Sometimes it was as if a little bit of Stevie would peek through in that she was appreciative of herself and loved how much she looked like both her striking fathers.  
  
After a few years of being fathers to Abbey, they saw a few times Stevie would shine through their daughter. One time being the multiple deadpans Abbey shot David when he would ask if she would behave while taking her into the restroom at a restaurant or when they saw Santa Claus and David pleaded for her to give just one simple smile while sitting on his knee.  
  
It really was a beautiful life they made and it made Patrick inhale sharply, trying to keep the emotion at bay. 

“Patrick, what am I going to do with you, the handsome, caring, sentimental husband of mine?” David wrapped his arms around Patrick’s shoulders, taking in Patrick’s heart eyes for him. “We are doing this together, and maybe you just make me feel a little braver each year. That I want to build an even bigger life outside of myself. You have helped me want that for myself, for us. Each layer we build, brick by brick, I’m not worried, because I know we are on solid ground.” Patrick leaned in to kiss David at the side of his neck, splaying his hand across his back and upwards to David’s shoulder blade.  
  
“We are on solid ground, David, and you make me brave too.”  
  


++++  
  


“Patrick?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you, for staying.” Patrick took a step back from the tree to look over at David and inhaled slowly, waiting for him to continue. “No one stays. You- well I know that this is forever.”

Patrick walked over to place his hands on David’s shoulders, rubbing smooth circles over and over. Soothing, sweet circles. “Of course it is. I’ll always be here.”

“It’s just that, well I know the last couple years have been hard what with my dad’s heart attack scare and losing Chloe-“

“Heaven baby!” Abbey cooed and David bounced her on his leg a little more. Her innocence was spellbinding sometimes to David.

“That’s right, angel, she’s our heaven baby.” A sweet sigh escaped David as he pressed into Abbey, breathing her strawberry and peaches shampoo in before looking up at his husband.

“I’m sorry, Patrick. I don’t mean to doubt what we-“

“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Ahuví. That’s too much, now. Come on, stand up.” Patrick brought both David and Abbey close to him, cradling them both in his arms and he sang, ‘You are my sunshine,’ mostly because it was Abbey’s favorite song to be sung to by Patrick, but when Patrick says ‘zunshayn,’ in place of ‘sunshine,’ David knew it was directly to him.  
  
They swayed together during the song and Patrick soothed his Prince David. “Is that better, Ahuví?” David nodded and kissed Patrick’s cheek. “I know you listen to the negative thoughts in your head sometimes, but I love our life.” He felt David against his cheek smiling. “I wouldn’t trade this life. And somehow I know even if you weren’t in it, I’d go looking for you.”  
  
David’s breath hitched and he looked into Patrick’s eyes at that. Patrick held his gaze for a moment before turning to Abbey who was half asleep but only because the singing and her dads’ soothing voices always seemed to have that effect.  
  


“Listen you two, it’s still early yet, why don’t we pile on the couch, I’ll make popcorn with the popper Grammie gave us, and we will watch the Peanuts Christmas?” Abbey’s smile grew and Patrick kissed her all over, taking her from David. He leaned in to kiss David’s temple and placed his daughter on the sectional next to her favorite blanket. She immediately wrapped herself up like a fluffy burrito.

“Okay, daddy, but I like it when you play. Please play!” Patrick sat down at the piano which he just recently dusted and opened to reveal the keys. “Yay! Yay, daddy!”

David wandered to the tv and put the movie on, the music came alive when he chose full screen. It was Patrick’s cue to begin playing and both David and Abbey sighed as Patrick plucked the begging notes perfectly. Vince Guaraldi had nothing on Patrick Brewer, at least to the little Rose in the room. David popped the popcorn in their popper and returned to the couch just as Patrick stopped playing and the characters were talking.

There were a few other instances Patrick got up to play for his tiny audience, but eventually they all fell asleep while watching. Patrick looked content and his heart was so full knowing in his arms were the loves of his life. He looked up to the heavens and said a silent prayer for Chloe.

With the fire diminishing in their stone fireplace and the cold creeping in, Patrick adjusted the temperature to the electric throw and held his family tighter. He vowed each and everyday to show them how precious they were to him and how his world was so much better having them.  
  
And to think that it took a bold move to end his relationship with his ex-fiancee,an even bolder move to travel to Schitt’s Creek and start a business with someone he should have seen as a big risk, and then put his heart on the line hoping that man would see him finally. Patrick always marveled at David’s emotional and career growth, but what was a true marvel was Patrick’s life. David didn’t mention it a lot, but in the times that he did mention how far Patrick had come, it made the guilt Patrick felt for taking so long to realize so much about himself subside.  
  
When you take away the guilt and shame from a well deserved, earned life, all you are left with is love.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Olive1031 for the help on that (cough) one ornament, paleredheadinascifi for the encouragement that this wasn't a dumpster fire and to get it posted already, and to my beta dawns_early_light for the continuous cheer-leading and support.


	6. Love you forever, I will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> <(-.-)>  
> Patrick took a step back to look at his husband who was clearly losing his mind over something so trivial. “I mean, who got her into this kick in the first place? Was it one of those nerds in her art class?” David looked over his shoulder at his smirking husband, “The Yodas need to leave.” 
> 
> “You...you mean the art class filled with five-year olds? You think this was- what- a conspiracy from Abbey’s classmates to...”
> 
> “I don’t like what you’re insinuating. No what I’m saying is the baby Yoda stuff needs to go, this is worse than the lip balm debacle of 2018.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally started writing this in November, I knew really quickly I wanted a 'Baby Yoda' chapter. It just needed to come together, which I think it finally did. Trust me, I know that real Star Wars fans despise 'Baby Yoda' and would rather call him 'the Child,' but please just think about this from Patrick and David's point of view who are just trying to get by as fathers to a rambunctious five-year old. 
> 
> Fair warning...there are a lot of Star Wars references, so if you haven't watched the movies, I do believe you'll still enjoy it.

**Epilogue**

In ever-anxious Rose form, David paced back and forth, looking everywhere around the decorated tree, over to his sleeping daughter in a full-on crustacean position, then back at the tree, clutching his eggnog and nervously scratching his head. For someone who claimed he wasn’t extra, Patrick marveled how much of a cartoon David looked like. All he needed was a soundtrack in the background as David paced.  
  


“Uhm, okay, first of all, we need to have a talk with our daughter about all of the [Yodas](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6QpWXvgQq_/) on the tree.” David blurted out and Patrick laughed into his sleepy-time tea. “Ever since the spinoff for that wretched streaming service Abbey begged us to get for months, she has become obsessed with baby yoda [everything](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6W9JPSghMp/).”   
  
Patrick took a step back to look at his husband who was clearly losing his mind over something so trivial. “I mean, who got her into this kick in the first place? Was it one of those nerds in her art class?” David looked over his shoulder at his smirking husband, “The Yodas need to _leave.”_

“You...you mean the art class filled with five-year olds? You think this was- what- a conspiracy from Abbey’s classmates to...”

“I don’t like what you’re insinuating. No what I’m saying is the baby Yoda stuff needs to go, this is worse than the [lip balm debacle of 2018](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V42Ob64KlMo).”  
  
"Oh! You mean the time that you demonstrated how well you handle _compromise_. How could I forget." David grimaced.

_Heaven forbid the lip balms ever get moved at the cash._

“Well that’s a conversation you need to have with your daughter. And I’ll be honest, she’s a firecracker like her daddy.” 

“Again, I’m not sure what you’re insinuating. Am...am I the firecracker in this scenario, or you?”  
  
“Both?,” Patrick questioned innocently, but with teasing eyes.

Patrick approached his husband who had taken a seat in the wooden chair and sat on his lap with his arms wrapped around his neck. “All I’m saying is, aren’t you glad it’s Star Wars and not, I don’t know, My Little Pony?” He immediately regretted the latter of that sentence because David was already showing signs of being brutally insulted. 

“ _My Little Pony_ ?! And _Star Wars_ , uhm, have we met?!” Patrick could almost see the steam coming from David’s ears. “I have never liked Star Wars and neither has Stevie, I blame _your_ side of the family for this.” Patrick laughed at the biting remarks.

Patrick tried to back pedal a bit. “Okay okay _okay_ , but I didn’t mean circa [1989](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1B0ubiACRr/) My Little Pony, I meant like circa 2014 with the [giant eyes](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bvcv-pcnM/) and ridiculous names.” David narrowed his eyes at his husband and inhaled like he was going to say something and then looked even more intently into Patricks eyes. Patrick returned the same glare, but more teasing and attempted to tickle David while he tried to get under his skin. 

“Excuse you, I know that’s not what you meant, and just because we have a daughter doesn’t mean I want her to like female slanted toys like My Little Pony. Though I certainly am opposed to the green goblin that can move things with his bare feet.” 

“ _Child_ , he’s called ‘The Child’ not a goblin, and I’m not trying to ruffle your pan feathers here, I’m just trying to say there are, you know, worse things for our daughter to like.” David’s eyes sparkled immediately.

Oh no.

“Mm! Worse things! Uhm, like, _[baseball](https://schitts-creek.fandom.com/wiki/Championship_Baseball_Game?file=Baseballcard_Patrick.jpg) _??”

“Ooh, that was so below the belt, David.” Patrick slapped his shoulder and tried to get off David’s lap but David wasn’t having that.  
  
Patrick twisted and turned and finally sighed into David’s mouth in a defeated kiss. They both pulled back from each other, laughing and gleeful. “Abbey told me she wanted to learn how to catch tomorrow, so looks like you’ll have to have a different dream of mine to crush.”

“Damn,” David muttered but still was smiling during their game of conversational ping pong. “Guess she’ll be majoring in Fashion Merchandising instead of Business Economics.” Another slap, bite, and kiss to David’s shoulder and he finally released Patrick. 

Looking around at the tree, Patrick did notice there happened to be twenty different Yoda ornaments, but all were strategically placed in areas Abbey could see, something David noticed and found convenient to his own line of eyesight. 

“Okay, well, if it makes you happy, David, I’ll take five of these off the bottom and disperse them up higher.” David gasped.

“You wouldn’t _dare_.” 

Patrick turned around and smiled cheekily like the pale troll he was. The troll David married and would marry again and again in every universe and dimension. “Oh, but I would.”

“David...?” He smiled even brighter knowing David had been caught in a day dream and usually when David was staring at him like that, with that far off look, he was thinking about all the ways David loved to hate to love this man he married. “Sweetheart? The ornaments? Okay, I’ll move them...” 

The pet name finally pulled him out of him reverie. “No, the ornaments stay down there, Patrick, are you insane?!” Patrick laughed heartily and still motioned to move the [Lego Yoda](https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jmLbnpGlP/) on a black brick up next to their sentimental B13 ornament. David all but tackled Patrick when he tried to latch it to the branch. “You’ve gone too far, Brewer-Rose,” he took the ornament from Patrick and held it high in the air. A nasty move Patrick hated and something David would do to keep things away from his beloved. 

Eventually the laughter, teasing, and final decorating died down and they carried their daughter into her room which looked like the inside of Mando’s [ship](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=33ED6734F6E95721AB76ADDDF1F4295F12C8E755&thid=OIP.535JeGjwnkh5kLO0RTyJ1AHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fstarwars%2Fimages%2F5%2F58%2FRazorCrestIcePlanet-DB.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20191118170532&exph=432&expw=768&q=mando%27s+ship&selectedindex=6&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6), the Razorcrest, and had little Star Wars paraphernalia like [BB-8](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=B00398E48D364D619EFF1743874085A64FB8791F&thid=OIP.idAlQbjH68qYne4A2AleSwHaE8&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fscreencrush.com%2F442%2Ffiles%2F2015%2F04%2Fbb-8-work.jpg&exph=720&expw=1080&q=bb8&selectedindex=12&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6), [Ewoks](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=C37EED4EC16F491F26931248A90577DBBAED83C6&thid=OIP.CM9I5VQP8_jVs38jDTtT0QHaFj&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.wired.com%2Fphotos%2F5926874daf95806129f4fc0f%2Fmaster%2Fw_1105%2Cc_limit%2FEwokTA.jpg&exph=829&expw=1105&q=ewoks&selectedindex=39&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6&ccid=CM9I5VQP&simid=608054406656035789&sim=11), and the ugly [Porgs](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=738BD0AEBFB54B0E8BEADCF36A52F23D6F78B2DB&thid=OIP.Bj9bRJF62DCFWWpq4AkKJAHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gq.com%2Fphotos%2F5a3bff68c2cf0649ff7c22bc%2F16%3A9%2Fw_1280%2Cc_limit%2Fstar-wars-porg.jpg&exph=720&expw=1280&q=porgs&selectedindex=39&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6) which annoyed the hell out of David. 

They both let out a happy sigh as they turned on her nightlight and tucked her in with her Yoda [plushie](https://www.instagram.com/p/B8VDIIzjpo1/). 

Walking down the hallway, Patrick turned into David’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around his waist as they moved. “David?” A twinkle in Patrick’s eyes and David was not going to like what came next. 

“Hmm?”

 _“So in love with you, I am,”_ Patrick managed his best adult Yoda voice which was a favorite of Abbey’s. 

“N-No, please don’t. Not tonight, I can’t-”  
  
_“Love you forever, I will_.”  
  
“That’s sweet, but..”

_“Snuggle under the covers, we must!”_

“Honey, _no_.” 

“David, I love you,” he said sincerely, swiveled to David’s line of sight, boring heart eyes into David’s dreamy coffee colored ones. He sounded like a whimsical [Carrie Fisher](https://starwarsanon.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/leia-esb-2.jpg). 

“I know,” David responded, in his best husky Harrison Ford. 

They laughed into sweet kisses and fell asleep content with the knowledge no matter if their daughter was into dinosaurs, dolls, gymnastics, karate, baseball, or hockey, they’d love her unconditionally and support all of her dreams and wishes. David just hoped eventually she would move past building Lego creations so he wouldn’t stumble upon sharp presents from Abbey in the early morning. Even if his temporary agony did elicit the cutest of giggles from Patrick.

  
  
Many in Schitt’s Creek were skeptical about David Rose ever wanting kids and questioned his ability to shed the sarcasm long enough to be a caring and supportive parent, but the Roses and Patrick especially had seen the growth in David over the years and knew he had a kind, loving, nurturing soul. David and Patrick made the decision together to become parents and in the moments when David was reading a bedtime story or building another [Lego Unkitty Castle](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ea/3d/d1/ea3dd1ce3a830aa4756bb1a2df2eb789--lego-village-build-stuff.jpg), Patrick knew that David never had regrets with becoming a father to their children. David loved his family unconditionally and Patrick felt safe with the security blanket of their love, and my how they fearlessly loved Patrick; a gay son, business man, husband, and father. Eventually it was all second nature to him and no longer novelty. The shock of telling others he was gay had subsided and no one cared either way, he was just Patrick Brewer-Rose, who loved his family passionately and boldly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a nod to my SO who loves everything Star Wars and who strongly dislikes when someone says the Child is Baby Yoda.  
> Also...no version of My Little Pony will ever come close to the whimsical and magical 80's edition.  
> Thank's for reading the last chapter <(-.-)>

**Author's Note:**

> Looking forward to your comments about this one. Again, this was very rewarding to get through the challenge of dissecting through Patrick's life and I feel like I know him so much more now.  
> Dan and Eugene Levy have created a beautiful television show with writing that is indescribably beautiful.


End file.
